Ms Collins, visiting the city from Scotland, was left with no bank cards, driving licence or spare holiday money for her trip to America the very next day.

It is unclear how Wierzbicki managed to get into the locked room but police believe he may have used a metal wire similar to one found in his luggage when he was arrested months later.

The Polish national, of Sunnyside Road, Aberdeen, was locked up for 24 weeks at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court today after admitting burglary, three charges of fraud and going equipped for theft (in relation to the wire).

His girlfriend, 25-year-old Danuta Welpa, was handed a four week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after admitting accompanying Wierzbicki while he used Ms Collins’ cards.

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Lynn Clark, prosecuting, told the court the victims had spent the night in the hotel and went for breakfast at 7am on February 3, leaving their handbags and other belongings on the bed.

She said: “The door used a swipe card system. Both ladies say they double checked the room was locked before going down for breakfast.

“Both recalled a male standing in the middle of the corridor. They thought it was strange, but thought nothing further about it.

“Both returned and noticed their handbags were missing and reported the matter to the police through the hotel staff.”

Krzysztof Wierzbicki picked a hotel room lock and burgled two women while they ate breakfast

The friends lost an iPad, their iPhones, their purses, prescription glasses, a rucksack as well as debit and credit cards and cash in the burglary.

Ms Clark said CCTV checks revealed footage of Wierzbicki and Welpa leaving the hotel and walking to a Sainsbury’s store in St Luke’s Place, where they bought nappies using the contactless payment option on Ms Collins’ debit card.

The pair then made their way to McDonald’s on Ranelagh Street where they used her card to buy a meal.

They were then spotted entering another Holiday Inn hotel by St John’s Precinct, although no other thefts were reported.

Ms Clark said they then used the card to buy more nappies from another Sainsbury’s store before getting on a train at Liverpool Lime Street station.

The pair were not arrested until yesterday, when they were detained at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Ms Clark read a victim personal statement from Ms Collins, which said: “This crime was horrendous, I was left with no money or way of communicating in a hotel 1,500 miles from home.

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Ms Collins said the theft “ruined” her holiday to the US, as she could not hire a car and had no way of getting extra money.

George White, defending, told the court Wierzbicki, who works as a plasterer in Aberdeen, admitted that he had persuaded Welpa to take part in the offence.

Mr White said: “He admits to me he is the principal offender. It’s quite clear that what he says, goes.”

He told the court Welpa, who sobbed in the dock, had been in the country to visit Wierzbicki and left their son with a babysitter in Poland.

He said the pair found themselves in Liverpool as it was cheaper to fly from Poland to the city and then travel on to Aberdeen.

He said: “I would suggest this is somebody who has been exploited. She readily agrees with that and he readily agrees with that. She did not want to come here and as a result she finds herself in the dock.”

Wierzbicki was ordered to pay £964 compensation to Ms Collins and £257 to Ms Moore.